1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to coatings. More specifically, the present invention relates to color varying or color shifting coatings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paint is a coating applied to a variety of surfaces for a number of diverse applications. Automobiles, sports utility vehicles, trucks and other vehicles constitute a major typical application of paint for aesthetic and utilitarian purposes. Typically, after the vehicle has been painted, the color remains fixed until the vehicle is repainted. This requires the consumer to make a decision at the time of purchase as to the color of the vehicle and to live with this choice for so long as the consumer owns the vehicle. This leads to a difficult decision-making process by which some consumers agonize for some time over the choice of color for their new vehicle. In many cases, the consumer experiences buyer's remorse to the extent that the consumer second-guesses his or her choice of color for the vehicle.
Further, the resale value of the vehicle is often limited by its color. Consequently, the consumer may be forced to choose between a first color of preference and a second color for optimal resale value. From another perspective, the would-be buyer of the previously owned vehicle must either limit his or her options to a smaller number of vehicles of a desired color or factor into the buying decision the cost of repainting a vehicle of a less desired color. Thus, color issues limit the resale market.
Further, those skilled in the art will appreciate that limitations on the resale market operate as limitations on the vehicle market generally inasmuch as a would-be buyer's willingness and ability to purchase a new vehicle is often connected to his or her ability to sell a currently owned vehicle at a highest possible price.
Inasmuch as it is currently costly and time-consuming to repaint a vehicle, a need exists in the art for a system or method for changing the color of the vehicle without repainting the vehicle.
Currently, to the extent that color shifting paints or coatings are used, these coatings generally involve the use of metal flakes which appear to provide a coating of different colors at different viewing angles. However, these coatings are generally angle dependent and do not provide color shifting with respect to the entire coated surface given the angle dependency thereof.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for an angle independent system or method for changing the color of a coated surface.